As someone who has had their identity stolen several times through the years, let me tell you it is not a fun process to try and get everything fixed and back to normal. There are simple ways that you can do some due diligence and protect your identity and your credit even when using checks.

When you order your checks online or through your bank, try to limit the amount of information on your check. The more that is imprinted, the more information a potential thief will have of you.

Here are some tips for you to think about next time you are ordering your checks.

* Never include your driver’s license or Social Security number on your check. This may seem like a no brainer, but honestly a lot of people still do it! A Drivers License number to a thief can be very valuable to a thief and you know you have to protect your SS number at all costs.

* Do not include your full name. Use initials for your first name so someone who doesn’t know you will not know which name is the mans and which is the womans. Also many people place the mans name on the check first, so a thief would not know which is which. This helps with identifying fake signatures as it goes through your bank for processing.

* Do not include your phone number on your check. A thief could use that along with other relevant info to open accounts, move money, etc., especially if you lost your wallet with your credit cards in it.

* Do not write any credit card numbers on your check or allow any one else to do so either.

* Place passwords on your account at your bank for any type of transaction, verbal as well as online. As an overall credit tip, also place passwords on every account you have so when speaking with customer service, they have to verify it is really you through your password.

By using these simple tips, you are going to protect yourself from would be thieves and also protect your hard earned money from being stolen and your credit compromised.